Mattel Disney Pixar CARS Diecast: Frank the Combine Buying Guide
Frankly, we have a lot of Franks (the Combine) and they have all sold well and has been highly sought after.
Of course, the one from Mattel is the official one.
It has been issued twice – in the RACE O RAMA series and on the NIGHT SKYLINE card. Obviously, as a fan favorite, he has been never easy to find and the Night Skyline release was certainly not in high supply so Frank is on the list of REALLY HARD TO FIND for a good price. You can find him at a high price.
So, of course, people try to pawn off other Franks.
Suspicion #1. If it’s OUT OF THE CARD!
Most “professional” sellers are not going to randomly pull a diecast out of a card so be suspicious – that’s not to say there are no “loose” Mattel 1:55 scale Frank’s but let’s just say that should be your first warning sign.
Technically – he is from Mattel … but he is an all plastic accessory from this playset …
“Wraukn” sends us great pics of him with Megasize/Deluxe diecast Frank.
Size wise, he’s not too bad but when you look closer, clearly many details are missing …
So, not bad – but not up to diecast standards but then here, he’s really just an accessory … but with the price that official Mattel Frank goes for, he’s an acceptable substitute until real Frank returns to retail (if ever).
Not only the detailing but the real 1:55 Mattel one has a date code (and rivets).
Here’s our original post on plastic playset accessory Frank.
Believe it or not, there is an even TINIER Frank from 2006 that still pops up every once in a while AS a game piece – you can read the post here. Again, he is photographed very closely so you think he’s HUGE but in reality … here is that game piece Frank next to 1:55 Lightning.
If you want more pics of megasize-deluxe rank to study all the details, our original post.
There is one other Frank, the Disney Store FRANK … 3 TONS of fun (well, okay, 3 lbs) … you can see all the original photos here … it’s actually really GINORMOUS but no eBayer is going to try and slip that one to you anyway so if someone is actually selling you the Disney Store, they will tell you …
Yep, he makes the Mattel 1:55 Frank seem a tad puny … and in may ways, the Disney Store one is in truer scale … you can read the Tale of the tape POST and decide for yourself.
So be careful when you see an OPEN BOX-LOOSE Frank. If they tell you it’s a game piece or it’s from the playset, great – you can decide if you’re ok with a smaller, all-plastic Frank but if they are trying to convince it’s the megasize-deluxe one but it’s loose – be very careful and check it out twice. Good luck!
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7 August 2011
29 Comments
RAVE O RAMA MAN, LOL. This name is much better than RACE O RAMA… is this something that Cars Collectors shout out when they are out all night at a shindig or nightclub partying. It’s something that Fillmore would definitely say… peace man. Great post Met.
We had a Disney store Frank, but returned it after my 3 years old snapped the front end off with his tiny force. hahaha, it’s not a friendly toy.
Yeah, before we got it I read about how delicate it is. When my son opened it, I had to explain to him that he had to be careful with it. I told him not to mistreat his toys or he will end up like Sid from Toy Story!
There was also a decent-sized Mega Bloks version too.
So what is the deal? Some people are saying the playset Frank is the same size as the deluxe diecast Frank. What is the straight dope? Maybe the playset 2.0 Frank is the same size and the playset 1.0 is smaller?
The Playset 1.0 one is smaller than the Playset 2.0 one, which is smaller than the Mega Size one, which is smaller than the Disney Store one.
We need a photo of all four of them lined up from largest to smallest.
The playset I got my son had the same size Frank as the Deluxe but very poor quality detailing. He was 2 at the time and didn’t really care. He had a Frank! We got the Disney Store Frank a little later, and to him that was the be all end all of Franks. Plastic Frank now chases cars at Grandma’s house.
So is there a Playset 3.0 version???
Here’s a link to my original image. Either use this image with my logo or don’t use the image at all.
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i41/markkaz/Misc/TractorTippingGamePieces02McQforSizeRef.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i41/markkaz/Misc/TractorTippingGamePieces02McQforSizeRef.jpg
Wow, I had no idea they were HTF. I left quite a few on the shelves back when they were out in stores.
My son found Frank at an outlet store down the road from us. He was about $9 I think. I slipped in there and bought it the surprised him with it later. He loved it. Many a car has been chased by Frank in my house.
Man did I leave a ton of Franks on the pegs and cubes for a long time before I was enlightened as to their value. Franks have been great to me since then.
Not so good when I had to carry 14 Disney Store Franks through the mall for an overseas friend though. That was some workout with a few really heavy bags. LOL
Yes Frank is a really sought after release for a long time. Definitely a classic and must have for many children and collectors.
I am dreaming of finding more cubes with Bessies and Franks someday. I would buy everyone one I could.
The plastic Frank that I have from that playset is the same size as my deluxe Frank, just all plastic. I have them sitting side by side on my shelf with the DS version. Were 2 different sizes released in the playset format? Not the game, the playset.
Frank has been good to me, my trading and my cars budget… 🙂
Who took my play set game pieces image and edited out my logo?
SPAM ALERT!
Spam is awesome. I like it fried myself. I don’t see any spam there though.
I did not even know there was a nightskyline card of Frank
I have that Frank track set and the Frank shown is NOT from that track set. The plastic Frank included in the track set is the SAME SIZE as the Mattel diecast version.
Disney Store Frank ROCKS!! Now if they’d just do a version of Bessie….
That would be big enough for all four tunerz to pull. Then they could release Chase! Boost, DJ, Snot Rod, and Wingo…with TAR!
I guess I got lucky and was able to buy one from a TFADite for $8 not too long ago. Over $50 on a certain auction site nowadays. I never did see any of the Night Skyline on the shelves 🙁 Course, never saw Bessie either.
I still have a Frank in my trade pile, must get it up for trade! European Nightline version (if the Deluxe ones are different in the UK).
Frank you very much for a great post.
Marishka Hargitay!!!
( love guru- hahaha)
Love Frank you!!!!
Will have to make it a custom here to frank people all the time!
I had no idea the playset Frank was smaller than the regular Mattel one. The playset is still a pretty easy find at Big Lots, and like all the other plastic playset versions I assumed (like Chuy) it’s the same except for materials. Disney Store Frank is still about the nicest Cars collectible…great value too. There were a dozen of them at my DS forever (occasionally on sale) and I regret not picking up more of them.
I saw a Mattel Frank only once. In a cube in a Toys R Us last summer. I was still too new of a collector to buy it because we already had a Disney Store Frank at the time. The Disney Store one was so cool, I didn’t think we needed Frank’s little brother. I still kick myself for not getting it to trade now but I didn’t start trading until about 6 months ago.
I was fortunate enough to find a ROR Frank at my Walmart back when they were out, it was the only thing on the pegs at all. Seriously, it was the only thing there. It was kinda freaky, actually.